The present invention relates to meter boxes and mountings for fluid meters. It more particularly relates to meter boxes for water meters of the type to be installed outdoors flush with the surface of the ground. It further relates to the construction of such meter boxes.
In the past there are numerous constructions of meter boxes known. Examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,212,339, 2,619,837, and 2,018,615, the contents of all of which are hereby incorported by reference in their entirety. These typically were made from a heavy cast iron design. To assemble the meter therein was a complicated process requiring the installation (usually with bolts and nuts) of the inlet and outlet fittings to the box, the hook-up of the meter to the one fitting, and the hook-up of the meter at its other end to an expansion mechanism which was attached to the other fitting. It further was necessary to secure the middle or collar portion of the box to the bottom tray through a complicated and time consuming bolt and nut assembly. Since the fittings were separate from the mounting box itself, relative movement was frequent and fittings would become misaligned with the meter. Leaking of the fluid was thus occurring between the recess of the inlet valve and the expansion mechanism and between the meter and the recess of the outlet fitting.